All-weather tires and winter tires
IndexSpeed rating
Q M+S1up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S1up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S1up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S1up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all tires with the M+S marking providethe driving characteristics of winter tires. Inaddition to the M+S marking, winter tiresalso have the Msnowflake symbol on thetire wall. Tires with this marking fulfill therequirements of the Rubber ManufacturersAssociation (RMA) and the Rubber Associa-tion of Canada (RAC) regarding the tire trac-tion on snow. They have been especiallydeveloped for driving on snow.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your vehi-cle from exceeding a speed of 130 mph(210 km/h).
The speed rating of tires mounted at the fac-tory may be higher than the maximum speedthat the electronic speed limiter permits.
Make sure that your tires have the requiredspeed rating, e.g. when buying new tires. Therequired speed rating for your vehicle can befound in the "Tires" section (Ypage 329).
Further information about reading tire datacan be obtained from any qualified specialistworkshop.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, loadindex Cmay be imprinted after the letters
that identify speed rating on the sidewall ofthe tire. Speed rating (Ypage 320).
RIf no specification is given: no text (as in theexample above), represents a standard load(SL) tire
RXL or Extra Load: represents a reinforcedtire
RLight Load: represents a light load tire
RC, D, E: represents a load range thatdepends on the maximum load that the tirecan carry at a certain pressure
iTire data is vehicle-specific and may devi-ate from the data in the example.
Maximum load rating
Maximum tire load Cis the maximum permis-sible weight for which the tire is approved.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding thespecified load limit. The maximum permissibleload can be found on the vehicle's Tire andLoading Information placard on the B-pillar onthe driver's side (Ypage 316).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-cific and may deviate from the values in theillustration.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
US tire regulations stipulate that every tiremanufacturer or retreader must imprint a TINin or on the sidewall of each tire produced.
1Or M+S Mfor winter tires.
322All about wheels and tires
Wheels and tires
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should onlybe corrected when the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked with the tiresout of direct sunlight for at least three hoursand
Rif the vehicle has not been driven furtherthan 1 mile (1.6 km)
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contactwith the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sitssecurely on the wheel. There are several steelwires in the bead to prevent the tire from com-ing loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and thebead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extrasthat weigh more than the replaced standardparts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). Theseoptional extras, such as high-performancebrakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-formance battery, are not included in the curbweight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be usedby a tire manufacturer to identify tires, forexample for a product recall, and thus identifythe purchasers. The TIN is made up of themanufacturer's identity code, tire size, tiretype code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is acode that contains the maximum load bearingcapacity of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between thetires and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is levelwith the bars, the wear limit of
